News from Bellerbys Brighton

Former Bellerbys A Level student Nithya Pays Brighton a Visit Nithya Sivakumar gained grades AAB in her Maths, Chemistry and Biology A Levels when she graduated from Bellerbys College Brighton last year and has since gone on to study Medicine at the University of St. Andrews. She recently came back to Brighton in the spring term of 2010 to visit the college and the city and had the following to say about her new course and about her time at Bellerbys Brighton: "I'm so lucky because St. Andrews is a great place.  The city is beautiful, yet quite small so you get to know everybody.  People are very friendly and welcoming and above all the lecturers are great and the Medicine course is fascinating." "There is a lot of work, which is what I expected. I am really enjoying it.  It has been very cold but the snow is beautiful." "I miss Bellerbys a lot because of the teachers who are great and it just feels like family, it's just like home.  I'm very glad that I did my A Levels here. Everyone is so supportive." "I will be seeing some Bellerbys students who are coming up for interview next week for the Medicine course and I will help them all I can." Meet some more Bellerbys Brighton students, past and present

Bellerbys Student Wins First Prize in Piano Competition Wand Nguyen Hong Quang, 17, a Bellerbys Brighton A Level student from Vietnam, was awarded first prize in the prestigious Senior Championship of the Springboard Festival Piano Competition held in Brighton on the weekend of March 27th and 28th. He was chosen as one of six finalists in the competition which included 20 of the best young pianists in the area. Wand played in three of the five classes including Bach's Prelude and Fugue No 12 , Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata first movement and Fats Waller's 'Alligator Crawl'.  He came first in each of these classes and was the winner of the overall final on Sunday evening. The Adjudicator, Dennis Lee, commended Wand's convincing capturing of the 'mood' of the pieces. He played everything from memory and all agreed his playing was inspiring and confident. Carol Alderson, the College Music Coordinator who guided both Wand and Yoshino Hirota, another Bellerbys A Level student, though the competition commented: "Wand is a great credit to the college. He is fine musician and I hope he takes his music further." Wand will be taking his final A Level exams in June (Geography, Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Sociology) and has a conditional offer from Imperial College, London to study Civil Engineering. Yoshino, from Japan is also a credit to the college and herself, as she had to overcome chronic shyness to take part in the event. She was perhaps rather unlucky to have been in the same competition as Wand as she is an amazing Jazz pianist. Well done to both Wand and Yoshino! Meet some more Bellerbys Brighton students, past and present

Students Celebrate Their Diversity at Cultural Evening Students at Bellerbys Brighton recently took part in the college's annual International Cultural Evening. Organised by Student Services, the event takes place every Spring in the Exam Hall and gives students the opportunity to learn about each others' traditions and celebrate the cultural diversity of the college. Before the event, students were invited to create displays and performances to represent their country. Many seized the opportunity to be as creative as possible with a great variety of approaches to the task. Students from Kazakhstan created an impressive papier mache model of their country - colourfully painted and decorated with dolls, sweets and other artefacts. Meanwhile students from Mongolia created a photographic gallery to demonstrate the natural beauty of their country. Many of the stands featured, food, photographs, instruments and other cultural items, whilst many of the students made a great effort to dress up in national costume or else wore the colours of their national flag. After the students had spent enough time posing for photographs and exploring each others displays - the performances began. The college was treated to singing in Vietnamese, rapping from Nigeria and group and solo performances from Kazakhstan. There were also theatrical performances from Russia and traditional dancing from Chechnya and Saudi Arabia. Following the performaces the DJ struck-up playing party music for the students, whilst free food and drinks were provided for all. Overall, over three hundred students attended from countries the world over. Feedback about the event has been fantastic, indicating that it is getting better each year and that students are keener than ever to show and learn about each others' countries and cultural bakground. See more photos from the event at the Bellerbys Brighton Facebook group

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Brighton Students Musicians Entertain Local Community

In late February 2010 a group of student musicians from Bellerbys Brighton went to the New Larchwood Community Centre in Coldean, on the outskirts of Brighton. This is the third time in the past year that students have visited the centre to entertain the elderly residents there.

This time around the students taking part were Wand Hong Quang Nguyen from Vietnam who played piano, Samy Amar from France who sang and played guitar, Ajax Jia Xi Zhou (piano) and Livia Jung Jen Chou (piano) both from China, Yoshino Hirota (piano) and Takuya Yamauchi (drums) from Japan, and Vladislav Nikitin (guitar and vocals) from Russia. The students were joined by staff member Isaac Fadil on guitar and vocals.

A variety of music was played by our student volunteers including some beautiful Classical piano pieces by Chopin and Pachelbel. Samy, Takuya and Isaac played an upbeat version of "Autumn Leaves/Les Feuilles Mortes" and "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" by Bill Withers. There were also some popular songs including "As the Crow Flies", by Rory Gallagher", Stevie Ray Vaughan's version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" played by Samy, and  the Beatles song "When I'm Sixty Four" played by Vladislav.

From the loud applause the recitals were thoroughly enjoyed by the audience and the visit was really appreciated by the residents.

Samy from France said: "Coldean was an amazing experience for me. It was my first concert as a guitarist, and as there were only a few people there, the ambience was very nice. Everything did not go perfectly well, but that's what makes a concert after all. I'm glad I was there, this afternoon was excellent!"

Thanks to Carol Alderson for organising and reporting on the event.

Read about the earlier visit it Coldean

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Bellerbys Brighton Students Take Part in Senior Mathematical Challenge

Towards the end of 2009, 74 eager mathematicians at Bellerbys Brighton took part in the Senior Mathematical Challenge - for fun and interest.

Magnificent results were achieved by our students as 24 were awarded Gold Certificates, 18 Silver and 19 Bronze. Saran Puataran-Arunkong, from Thailand, was the top student with a score of 106.  He was closely followed by Wand Hong Qang Nguyen and Phong Phan, both from Vietnam.

Gary Pantrey, the Maths teacher in charge of the competition, congratulated the students on their performance: 'This was a very demanding test of mathematical ability and our student results show how good the mathematics is in the colllege.  Well done to all those who took part!'

Nigel Addison, the College Principal, presented students with their awards and noted: 'I am so pleased that our students are continuing to maintain the excellent tradition we have of  teaching so many first class mathematicians here at Bellerbys Brighton.  This is very rewarding for the students and for the staff who teach them.'

See more photographs of the awards on the Bellerbys College Flickr page

Apply to join Bellerbys College Brighton

 

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Two Bellerbys Brighton Teachers Achieve Doctorates at Sussex University

We're delighted to announce that two Bellerbys Brighton teachers have recently graduated with Doctorate degrees from the University of Sussex.

Suzanne Lively, who is Head of Psychology at the college and teaches the subject to A Level and Foundation students, took ten years to complete her Doctorate. 

"It was very challenging working full time and trying to find time to write my thesis after
work, at weekends and through the holidays, but I eventually succeeded and I think this shows that if you have something you really want to achieve that you should never give up!", said Dr Lively, on completing her studies.

Congratulations are also extended to Dr. Dudley Moore who teaches Law at Bellerbys Brighton, as well as being Deputy Programme Manager for the Higher Education department.  He adds his DPhil to an already impressive collection of letters after his name including BA, LLM, MPhil, MA, MSt and Barrister-at-Law! 

"My doctorate at Sussex University was on the early British travellers to Crete and their contribution to the island's Bronze Age archaeological heritage.  It was a good reason to
spend most my spare time over 5 years in Crete!"

Read more about Dr Moore and Dr Lively

Find out about studying A Levels or Foundation at Bellerbys College

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Bellerbys Brighton Ranked Second in 2009 A Level League Tables

Bellerbys Brighton has come second in the 2009 A Level results in a league of schools across the city of Brighton & Hove.

In results just published by local newspaper, The Argus, using data supplied by the UK Department for Education and Skills, the students of Bellerbys Brighton were revealed to have achieved an impressive student average score of 922.7 points.

For a large school, with a majority of students speaking English as a second language, this is an excellent result and shows that Bellerbys College is quite clearly the leading choice in schools for international students who wish to study at a UK university.

See more of the 2009 Bellerbys College course results

See the league table on theargus.co.uk

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Credit Crunch Talk from Investment Director

In November, A Level Economics students at Bellerbys Brighton were invited to attend a lecture by Richard Krawiec, an Investment Director from a London investment company. This was the fourth year that Mr Krawiec had kindly agreed to visit Bellerbys College and this years' talk focused on the events that have taken place in the financial world during the last twelve months following the 'Credit Crunch' and subesquent recession.

Mr Krawiec explained how the current financial crisis had occurred and also about the UK government's involvement and efforts to provide financial assistance to some of the major banks. Students were then encouraged to participate in a question and answer session at the end of the talk. It is hoped that, in spite of the fact that Mr Krawiec is retiring in December this year, he will come to the college again in 2010 to provide students with the benefit of his knowledge.

If anyone would like a copy of the Powerpoint presentation they can access it on Economics teacher, Mr Spottiswoode's blog "Spot of Economics".

Mr Spottiswoode's blog aims to draw attention to interesting and topical isues in economics, to encourage debate, to explore the work of famous economists, and in general to get students interacting in a more informal setting outside of the classroom. There has already been a number of interesting student discussions, particularly about the Russian government's plans to introduce a minimum price for vodka. There are also video clips and games too! The amount of material he will put on up very much depends on how much it is being used, so its future is very much in the hands of the students.

by Mrs Riach, Academic Activities Co-ordinator

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Big Hearted Teacher is a Fundraising Inspiration

Students and staff have been busy this term raising money for various charities, not least amongst them is big-hearted English teacher Martin Barontini.

Martin is something of fundraising fanatic, having taken part in a total of six sponsored sports events this year alone , raising over £1200 for charity! However, it turns out that he has been taking part in an increasing number of charity fund-raising events for over five years now, on average acquiring a new charity every year. "It started in 2005 when I was inspired by a colleague who took part in a sponsored marathon to raise money for a children's hospital in London. That got me started".

Martin is also motivated by the need to keep fit. "I do a lot of running, swimming and cycling. I find it's very helpful in my job as it gives me the energy I need in the classroom". In March 2009, Mr Barontini took part in the first of two swimathons of the year. The first raised money for the charity Comic Relief, whilst the second which took place just two weeks ago, raised money for Children in Need.

Additionally every May he takes part in a Fun Run for the St. Barnabus Hospice in Worthing (near Brighton). "I'm very active in my church and so I take part in that every year. A lot of people know about it locally and they give generously." 

Martin is also motivated by issues that have affected his family. Every June he takes part in a Fun Run for Sussex Cardiac Rehab support. "I'm very fond of that one as my father had heart probems". Then there is the Fun Walk for Worthing Altzheimers Society which takes place in September. His grandmother was affected by Altzheimers and so he is, "very fond of that charity as well"

Another charity Martin began raising money for three years ago is Cancer Research. Every summer Martin takes part in a Fun Run together with Academic Activities coordinator Mrs Riach. This year they managed to raise £340.

At the end of this week, after he has finished collecting for Childred in Need, Martin is going to take a well deserved break. However he's already planning on his next fundraising events in Spring next year, so, be sure to lend your support to a man who gives so much of his time and energy each year to improve the lives of others.

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Bellerbys Brighton Geography Students Visit the Thames Barrier

"The field trip to the Thames Barrier and its surrounding area on Thursday 26th of November was a useful and enjoyable experience for both the students and the teacher of our Geography class.

First, we visited the Thames Barrier Park, where we had a magnificent view of the barrier.  Here, we could see that the barrier was not only an effective flood defence but also an impressive work of engineering and architecture.  The park itself was also a masterpiece, being considered the first largely post-modern garden design in London, with refreshingly modern-looking planting and dancing fountains.

After that, we travelled to Woolwich Arsenal station and walked to the site.  At the Thames Barrier Information Center, we were given an introduction to the design and construction of the barrier, as well as its history and mechanism.

We were then left to find out about risks of flooding in London, how the barrier defends
London against these floods and its importance to the nation's ‘heart’ through videos, leaflets and a mini model of a gate.  I myself was very surprised that this modern-looking structure was designed in the 1970s and officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 1984, and it still has a very modern look.  The information was really interesting with a wide variety of facts, not only geographical, but also about the ecosystem in the Thames River.

At the end of the trip, everyone was very happy  with the interesting facts that we learned and was able to witness a practical example of hazards management, which was very useful and encouraged us to pursue our studies in Geography."

By Bellerbys Brighton student, Linh Nguyen

Read more about studying A Levels or Foundation at Bellerbys College

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Former Bellerbys Brighton Student Writes Blog from University

We are delighted to have signed up former student, Ksenia Rostislavleva, as our new
graduate blogger.

Ksenia, from Russia, studied ELP, GCSE and A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton and achieved an amazing six A grades in Biology, Chemistry, French, Maths, Physics and Russian.  This secured her place at Imperial College London to study Biotechnology.

If you are thinking about studying at Bellerbys or coming to England as an international student, why not follow her posts on the 'Life After Bellerbys' blog to find out about her new life at university and in London.

Read more about Ksenia's time at Bellerbys College

Read her posts about Freshers' Week and visiting Edinburgh on the Life After Bellerbys blog

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Bellerbys Brighton Medics Group Visit The Royal Sussex Hospital For a Talk on Renal Medicine

This month, a group of Bellerbys Brighton A Level students who hope to work in medicine visited The Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton.  One of those students, Ogaga Sim-Ifere, wrote the following account of their visit.

"The talk presented by Dr Sarah Lawman, a consultant in renal medicine, at the Audrey Emerton building at The Royal Sussex Hospital was very informative and interesting.

We were told about the history of renal medicine in the UK and in Sussex, as well as renal medicine at the Sussex Kidney Unit (S.K.U).  We also learned how they integrate research such as cardiovascular biology, HIV and kidney failure and the use of stem cells in the growth of kidneys with their practice and how it has grown over the years to become one of the best in the country.

We learnt about the different types of dialysis and how washing machines were used at home as dialysis machines during an outbreak of hepatitis B and C in hospitals in 1965!  We also learnt about transplants and the cost of different treatments to the National Health Service (N.H.S) as well as the future of renal medicine in the U.K.

At the end of the talk we were able to ask questions and ethical issues rose such as: “Is it acceptable to take the useful organs of those who die” and “Is it right for people who have acute renal failure or those who are very old to opt out of treatment”.  We found this very useful and as we know that we need to be fully aware of the ethics surrounding medicine. 

Some of the members of the Medics Group at Bellerbys, which helps prospective medical students prepare for the challenge of the course in both application to university, study skills and presentation of talks, were fortunate to attend this as well as some science students willing to learn about this interesting aspect of medicine. The people present were:  Yanfang Hong, Belinda Ong, Shu Wei Zhang, Ogaga Sim-Ifere (pictured left to right, back row) and Phong Phan, Ariel Chang, Christina Wei (front row).

Overall, everyone seemed to have found it very useful and enjoyed the experience, and once again we were reminded of the continuous learning environment that medicine presents."

Written by Ogaga Sim-Ifere 
A Level student at Bellerbys Brighton

Read more about Medical School tutoring at Bellerbys College

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From Bellerbys Oxford to University of Sussex in Brighton

by Olive Lai

 

It was a big change coming from college to university.  Firstly, university study relies largely on personal awareness and self-regulation; unlike in college, teachers often chase after students about homework.

Secondly, writing academically and using 'critical thinking' is new to most new university students. Luckily, whilst doing the Foundation course at Bellerbys Oxford, we had English courses on essay planning, academic writing and referencing and these had proven a great deal useful for university academic work.

Thirdly, as an international student, university is a platform to meet new friends with native English speakers and students from other countries and be influenced by other cultures.

Brighton is a completely different city from Oxford. Brighton is energetic, yet with an appreciation to the old and a bit of edginess. There is a certain height regulation for houses so that they do not ruin the city skyline. A construction could be called to stop because of a family of protected birds living on top of a building.

There are many pubs and clubs which have live performance for people who like to go out at night. I adore going for a countryside walk while the sun is out. Brighton has quite a number of parks and there is one right outside of University of Sussex. It is a beautiful scene to watch while deer pass by in the fields and in the woods.

Find out more about living in Brighton

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Former Brighton Student, Off to Study at LSE, Calls in To Say Hello Before Starting Her Degree

Former Bellerbys Brighton student, Thi Hai Ngoc Tran, 18, also known as Sammie to her friends, came back to Bellerbys Brighton recently to visit her friends and teachers.

Sammie achieved A grades in all of her A Level subjects (Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Sociology) at Bellerbys this year and has just started a degree in Management at the prestigious London School of Economics. 

She called in to say hello to her friends and former teachers before starting her undergraduate studies.

Read more from Sammie about her time at Bellerbys

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48 Universities Attend the 2009 Bellerbys Higher Education Fair

This October, Bellerbys College held its annual Higher Education Fair at the Brighton Study Centre.

The Fair gives Bellerbys Foundation and A Level students the opportunity to meet representatives from many UK universities in a short space of time.

Students are able to put their questions to visiting representatives and obtain specific details about the range of courses offered, the University location, where they might sit in various league tables, social and housing facilities, links to business, careers advice, research facilities, entry standards, support for international students, transport facilities and more!

The visiting University representatives are on hand to answer these questions and can offer further details, such as explaining course content and offer insight into the post-graduate study and careers that a particular degree may lead on to.  It also encourages students to start taking responsibility for their own progression in terms of which academic course or profession they are most interested in.

Zohreh Agamiru, from Iran who is currently studying at Bellerbys Brighton said, "Today I learned about the difference between Pharmacy and Pharmacology - and the progression from these onto different Master's."

Approximately 48 British universities were represented at the event which took place in the Exam Hall at Bellerbys Brighton.

Hundreds of students from all four Bellerbys centres (Brighton, Cambridge, London and Oxford) were in attendance and were able to ask questions and collect prospectuses and stationery from the stands.

Nazarij Vavryk, 17, from the Ukraine (pictured right) said - "Today has been great because this has given me some ideas for further research... I'll now start looking more on the internet. So far, I like Bristol University for International Business!"

A short video of the Bellerbys Higher Education Fair can be viewed below.

The universities in attendance this year include:

Aberystwyth, Anglia Ruskin, Aston, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Buckingham, Cardiff, City, De Montfort, Durham, East London, Essex, Exeter, Goldsmiths, Greenwich, Hertfordshire, Huddersfield, Keele, Kent, Kingston, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Liverpool John Moore's, London Metropolitan, London South Bank, Loughborough, Manchester, Middlesex, Newcastle, Northumbria, Nottingham, Oxford Brookes, Portsmouth, Queen Mary, Reading, Roehampton, Royal Holloway, Sheffield, St Mary's, Southampton, Surrey, Sussex, Swansea, York and Westminster University.

Want to study at Bellerbys College? Visit our Courses section for more information about studying A Levels and Foundation.

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Brighton A Level Students Attend Live Radio Political Debate at Labour Party Conference

The Labour Party Conference, held here in Brighton in September, presented lots of opportunities for Bellerbys students to experience politics first-hand.  A group of A Level students were lucky enough to attend a live radio debate between members of the general public and Labour Party Members of Parliament (MPs).

Below, two Bellerbys Brighton students, Karina Palyutina and Shu Yee Too, describe their experience.

"The BBC Radio 5 Live programme on 28th September 2009 presented by Victoria Derbyshire was an eye-opening experience.  The broadcast involved the discussion of current issues with representatives of the Labour Party, a discussion that was particularly pertinent to the Labour Conference that took place last week in Brighton. 

In attendance were teachers, students and employment seekers.  During the discussion, potential voters had the chance to communicate with the Labour Party MPs.  The main topics of discussion were social policies and how they have been made more complicated by the recent financial crisis.

Some 22 Bellerbys Brighton students were lucky enough to get the chance to attend this programme.  It was obviously a very beneficial event for students who wish to pursue a political career or plan to take further studies in Politics.  Important Labour figures such as Jack Straw, Charles Clarke, Caroline Flint, Neil Kinnock and David Blunkett were present. 

The areas of discussion that they dwelled on focused on the current economic recession, Afghanistan war, MP’s expenses claims, budget cuts and unemployment.  It was fascinating to see what we learnt and studied in class from the textbooks come to life in front of us.

Nevertheless, students who do not study Politics also enjoyed the programme.  Despite not being able to vote at the general election, we as international students residing in the UK need to have an awareness of  current events.  Therefore, the chance to attend and the chance to see British citizens communicating and questioning their elected representatives was one of the best ways to give us an insight into the British political culture.

Direct dialogue between the government and constituency is impressive to us international students as this is not found in all countries. The British public’s ability to talk freely to their political leaders and their demanding attitudes and the Party’s sense of responsibility to the citizens are qualities that stresses the outstanding examples of ‘the people’s rule’, something, in our opinion, that many countries can and should learn.

It was also very striking to see our peers, politically conscious British college students participating actively in the discussion.  The issue of education cuts and state funding of schools and universities were their main areas of concern, something which is also relevant to us, seeing that we are competing to secure places at the universities with them.

Overall, we are very pleased and happy to have been given the opportunity to venture into a new and unfamiliar activity with our teachers.  The event certainly stimulated interest and awareness in today’s political situation in the UK and increased our knowledge of the current political leaders, along with how the people view them.  Lastly, having seen British politics played out in person, we felt one step closer to the country that we are studying in."

By Karina Palyutina and Shu Yee Too, A Level students at Bellerbys Brighton

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New Video Tour of Bellerbys Brighton!

We've uploaded a new video tour of Bellerbys Brighton to YouTube to give a taster of life at the college.

As well as seeing all of the modern facilities the college has to offer, you'll also hear from current students about why they chose the college, meet the Principal, Nigel Addison, and find out a little bit about Brighton itself.

Watch the video on the Bellerbys Brighton Facilities page

See some more Bellerbys videos on YouTube

 

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Bellerbys Brighton Teacher Spends Her Holidays as a Volunteer Teacher in Nepal

Jeanette Philpott, Programme Manage for Foundation and A Level Support English at Bellerbys Brighton, has just spent her summer holiday working for a charity in Nepal,
teaching English to students in Katmandu.  Below she tells us about her experience.

"The Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, a small country sandwiched between India and China.  Although Nepal is a very small country, it has an incredibly diverse geography
and rich variety of biodiversity from the tropical climate in the plains to the high mountains of the Himalayas. 

Nepal is a popular tourist destination for trekking in the Himalayas and includes the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest at 8,847 metres.  Tourists come to visit the stunningly beautiful nature as well as to experience the rich Hindu and Buddhist cultures that exist in the country.  Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and relies heavily on tourism to boost its economic development. 

KEEP was established with two aims in mind.  Firstly, it provides information to trekkers on environmentally – sustainable trekking and tourism and acts as a meeting place for tourists to exchange information on trekking.  Secondly, it aims to provide education to Nepali professionals who work in the tourism industry, for example as trekking guides.

One of the educational projects that KEEP runs is providing one-month English language courses, which aim to develop the English oral skills of trekking guides to enable effective communication with tourists.  The courses also aim to encourage tourist professionals to think about the impact of tourism and how they can behave and educate tourists to minimise the negative effects that tourism can have on the natural environment.

I have volunteered twice to teach on the month-long English courses, once in December 2008 and the second time in July 2009.  Although there are no financial rewards to teaching on the programme, the motivation and enthusiasm of the students more than make up for this.  Knowing that students will use the opportunity they are given to help them be successful in the future means the teaching has a tangible, direct result.  It is an extremely rewarding experience to teach people who you know will continue to use and develop the language and knowledge that they have learned on the course.

Not only is it an opportunity to teach, but also an opportunity to learn about Nepali culture: how the different ethnic groups live in Nepal and their hopes and aspirations for the future after a ten-year civil war.  If you are interested in giving a donation to help with the running of KEEP or are interested in volunteering with them, you can contact them at http://www.keepnepal.org/."

Jeanette Philpott

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Former Bellerbys Brighton Student, Now Working in London, Pays Visit to New College

Nan Song, who studied A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton from 2004-5, recently called in to the college to visit his former teachers. 

He achieved excellent A Level grades (AAAB) before going on to the London School of Economics where he studied Accounting and Finance.  He has now completed his degree and
is going to work for Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays, in London.

Nan, from China, enjoyed his time at Bellerbys commenting that he was extremely well
taught and learnt a great deal.  He felt that his teachers were very supportive and the college was a very friendly place.  Friends made at Bellerbys are still his friends now and he meets them frequently in London where many of them are now working.

Mrs McBride and Mr Bowen were outstanding teachers in his view.  Mrs McBride helped him to find the career he wanted to do for the rest of his life and Mr Bowen taught him how to think critically about economic and world issues.

'It's amazing - state of the art' was his view of the new Bellerbys building - quite a contrast with the former buildings where Nan studied, although he has many happy memories of them and went back to show his parents where he had studied for his A Levels.

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Excellent Conditional University Offers for Bellerbys Brighton A Level Students

At the 2009 A Level Awards ceremony Peter Corcut, Vice Principal of Bellerbys Brighton, announced that 'this year, students had set new records for offers from the most prestigious universities in the UK'.

From our Bellerbys Brighton A Level class of 2009, four students have conditional offers from Cambridge University, three from Oxford University, 15 from London School of Economics,
12 from Imperial College London, 20 from University College London, 14 from Warwick University and six have offers from King's College!  Fifty other students have offers from
other top ranking universities ranging from Birmingham University to St Andrews.

Congratulations and best of luck for those final grades!

Read about our past A Level results

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Another Former Brighton Student Awarded a First at Cambridge University!

Many congratulations to former Bellerbys Brighton student Hong Sheng Lim from Johore Bahru, Malaysia, who has just been awarded a First Class Honours degree in Natural Science from Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge.

Hong Sheng achieved A grades in all of his A Level subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics) at Bellerbys and remembers his days at the college with great affection, in particular the work done in the Chemistry laboratory.

His teacher, Mr. John Wenham, noted, 'I am not surprised at his success as he was one of a number of very bright students in the class.  I am pleased he has done well and look forward to hearing more good news about his academic work in the future.  Determination, cheerfulness and dedication were his most outstanding personal qualities.'

Hong Sheng has been offered the chance to pursue studies for a Doctorate at Cambridge with a 100% scholarship funded by the University.

Find out more about studying A Levels at Bellerbys

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Venetian Carnival Theme for Bellerbys Brighton May Ball 2009

The May Ball is eagerly anticipated as the most important evening activity on the college calendar. This year's May Ball theme was 'Venetian Carnival' and all attendees, students and staff alike, were asked to wear masks!

The college atrium was decorated with masks and a large face with a Venetian mask, all
made by Foundation Art students and teachers, pictured right.

The excellent food followed the theme and included Italian delicacies such as Gorgonzola and Spinach Gnocchi and Seafood Linguine, followed by fruits and marshmallows dipped in a chocolate fountain.

Entertainment was provided by students who had won their place to perform by taking part
in the 'BE Factor' - Bellerbys answer to The X-Factor!  Two students welcomed the party guests singing and played the guitar and piano in the atrium. 

Later, in the Exam Hall, 'The Addison Family Band' (Nicolae, Oleg and Toby) played some
rock and roll numbers, followed by some rapping and dancing from 'The Ashewo Boys
Strafing Danya' (Courage, Danya, Demola and Suki).  'The Bel-ling's Band (Than Hang Diep, Hae Byn Yoon and Roxy Spatari) played some good old pop songs and the dancing continued with a disco until 11pm.

See some more photos from the Ball on the Bellerbys Flickr page

 

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Art Students Create Summer Ball Display

This year, Bellerbys Brighton's summer graduation party had a Venetian Masked Ball theme.

The talented Art Foundation students of the college put their creative skills to good use by designing and building a display for the main entrance hall to the Brighton Study Centre building.

The students got to work using papier-mâché and wire to create moulds from their faces. When the masks had dried and set; fabric, glue, paint, feathers and sequins were employed to decorate them. 

Following these creations, a team of students then decided to create a huge two metre high mask to suspend in the atrium above the entrance hall.

The masks were created as part of the Art Foundation students' 'Carnivalesque' project.

The results really helped to make a grand entrance to the Summer Ball - so a huge 'thank you' to all the students that helped create the display.

To see more pictures of the masks and read more about what it's like to study at Bellerbys College read our new 'Studying at Bellerbys College' blog, written by two of our teachers.

 

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Bellerbys Brighton A Level Awards 2009 - The Best Ever!

Over 300 students AS and A2 students crowded into the colourfully decorated Exams Hall to cheer on prize winners at the annual A Level students’ awards ceremony.

Peter Corcut, the Vice Principal, in his introductory remarks noted that this year students had set new records for offers from the most prestigious universities in the UK and excellent
A and AS results were expected.

The Principal’s Award was presented to Zhibo Wang who has an offer from Oxford University to study Physics.  Not merely a brilliant student Zhibo has taken part in voluntary work, been a keen debater and a shining example to his colleagues for his cheerfulness, friendliness,
love of discussion and debate and dedication.

Equally brilliant, Yu Chen, also with an offer to study Physics at Oxford, was praised for the originality of some of his work by Dr Butcher, his Maths tutor.

Other prize winners included Ksenia Rostislavleva, one of our student bloggers, for her work
in her Science A Levels.  She has won awards every year she has been at the college, since her GCSE studies, and has an offer to go to Imperial College London to study Biotechnology.

Sara Mohammad from Dubai, who has excelled in her studies of Law, English Literature and Sociology, has an offer from Durham University to study Law and was awarded the Humanities prize.

Lily Li Wang won the Best A2 Student prize; she has an offer from St Catherine’s, Cambridge, to study Economics and Anton Ozornin won the Best AS Student prize; he is hoping to emulate Lily Wang!  Below is the full list of winners:

Li Wang from China – Best A2 Level Student
Anton Ozornin from Russia – Best AS Level Student
Ksenia Rostislavleva from Russia - Best A2 Level Student, Science
Ogagaoghene Sim-Ifere from Nigeria - Best AS Level Student, Science
Xinyun Liu from China - Best A2 Level Student, Business
Tamar Khelaia from Georgia - Best AS Level Student, Business
Sara Mohammad from United Arab Emirates - Best A2 Level Student, Humanities
Zhandos Kuderin from Kazakhstan - Best AS Level Student, Humanities
Yu Chen from China - Best A2 Level Student, Mathematics
Hong Quang Nguyen from Vietnam - Best AS Level Student, Mathematics
Ling Yan Kong from China - Best A2 Level Student, Art
Karina Palyutina from Russia - Best AS Level Student, Art
Jianshu Cao from China – Most Improvement in English
Olzhas Seisembayev from Kazakhstan - Best A Level Student, English Language
Yuka Shimada from China – Contribution to the Library
Anara Salykhova from Kazakhstan – Richard Ryde Scholarship Award Nomination
Zhibo Wang from China – The Principal’s Award

Read more about studying A Levels at Bellerbys

See more photos from the Brighton awards ceremony on Flickr

 

 

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Former Brighton Student Awarded a First Class Honours Degree in Natural Science at Cambridge

We're delighted to receive news from the Principal of Newham College, Dame Patricia Hobson, that a former Bellerbys student has been awarded a First Class Honours degree in Natural Science by the University of Cambridge. 

Quynh Trang To, from Vietnam, studied A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton, achieving A grades in all of her subjects - Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths, before taking up her place at Cambridge.

In her letter to the Bellerbys Principal, Nigel Addison, Dame Hobson wrote that 'this sort of achievement reflects not just work at Cambridge but years of work beforehand'.

Many congratulations to Ms To on this outstanding achievement.

Find out about studying A Levels at Bellerbys

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Bellerbys Brighton Foundation Awards Day 2009

In June each year we bid a fond farewell to our Foundation students.  A ceremony is held during their final weeks in college and all students are presented with leaving certificates by the Principal.  The event is a great occasion, celebrating all the students' success throughout the year. A few students are also singled out for particular recognition and presented with a special award for their achievements during the year.  This year the Principal handed out the following awards:

Miras Ibraimov from Kazakhstan - Best Overall Contribution to the Foundation Programme
Dmitry Aksenov from Russia - Best Foundation Student
Wing Ki Wong (Vivian) from Hong Kong - Best Foundation Student
Hjun Yu Kim (Daniella) from Korea - Best Art & Design Foundation Student
Jingyuan Pan (Hayley) from China - Best Business Foundation Student
Kai Ying Kong (Cherrine) from Malaysia - Best Engineering Foundation Student
Michael Korchagin from Ukraine - Best English Foundation Student
Alexandr Goncharov from Kazakhstan - Best IT Foundation Student
Kateryna Lazoryshynets from Ukraine - Best Humanities Foundation Student
Vytaute Granaveckaite (Shadow) from Lithuania - Most Active Participation & Contribution to Class Discussion, Humanities
Chisanga Mwila from Zambia - Best Law Foundation Student
Man Nga Cheung from Hong Kong - Best Science Foundation Student
Yoonsuk Jung (Tio) from Korea - Best Maths Foundation Student
Dinara Abyova from Kazakhstan - Most Improved Foundation Student

Read more about the Foundation programme

See more Foundation Award ceremony photos on Flickr

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The Bellerbys Brighton GCSE Class of 2009 Graduate!

The celebration of the achievements of the Bellerbys Brighton GCSE students was a happy occasion with no fewer that 16 awards for students who have worked hard to be ready for examinations after only eight months of study, and in a second language. 

Pictured right is with Principal, Nigel Addison, is Ngoc Quy Nguyen winner of both the Best GCSE Student 2009 Award and the GCSE Mathematics Award.  Other award winners included:

Albina Utarova from Kazakhstan - Award for Outstanding Effort
Xinhui Wu from China - Best Pre-GCSE Student
Chi Chong Hong from Hong Kong - Best GCSE Progress Award
Pavel Zotov from Russia - Best January Start Student
Wenyu Peng from China - January Start Progress Award
Do Thi Nguyen fromVietnam - GCSE English Award
Dmitry Kudelya from Russia - GCSE Science Award
Simonas Sniuksta from Lithuania - GCSE Economics Award
Jialing Xie from China - GCSE Art Award
Aleksandra Kononenko from Russia - GCSE Business Award
Vlada Lantukh from Ukraine - GCSE Endeavour Award
Vladyslav Gurov from Ukraine - GCSE Endeavour Award
Qian Yi Kong from China - GCSE Endeavour Award
Dinara Kussayeva from Kazakhstan - GCSE Endeavour Award

Read more about studying GCSE at Bellerbys

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Bellerbys Brighton has the X Factor

Bellerbys Brighton recently held a competition, as a means of selecting student performers for the College's Summer Ball. The format of the competition imitated the "X Factor" with four judges (comprised of school staff) assessing and helping to select the winners.

The students' performances where a mix of singing, dancing and playing of musical instruments. In addition to selecting performers, the competition was a great opportunity for demonstrating the range of talent in the school, which we are truly proud of.

There are presently plans for another event like this in the coming term, to give the new students a chance to show their skills and talents.

See more pictures of the event at Facebook

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Bellerbys Football Cup 2009

The Bellerbys Football Cup kicked off at 10am on Saturday 25th April in nearby Preston Park, a short walk from the Brighton Study Centre.

Twelve teams played five-a-side football matches all with the common aim of having a lot of fun and scoring as many goals as possible. 

The teams were all made up of students from either Bellerbys Brighton or sister school Embassy. Different countries were united in sharing the same feelings: passion for playing football and wining this cup.

Team "Ragazzi" (pictured) were the victorious winners.

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Musicians return to the Coldean Community Centre

Bellerbys Brighton received an invitation from Coldean Community Centre for students to return and perform a musical recital for local residents.

This followed a recital given by students in October 2008, where several of the students had performed a tea dance at the centre. One of those students Wand (Nguyen Hong Quang) joined the group of students again to play the piano and played several pieces including Chopin’s Fantasy-Impromptu and Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, which was a special request of one of the volunteers of the centre.

The other students who performed this time were Layla (DAN Khanh Phuong), Trang (DO Thi Minh) and Sophia (XU Xiao Lan). Sophia, who is a member of the Brighton Youth Orchestra, played “Minuet” on the violin while Layla and Trang played and sang several Vietnamese songs wearing traditional Vietnamese dresses.

Lunch was provided by Coldean Community Centre volunteers and Mrs Riach and the students were invited to join the residents for the meal.

At the end of the recital all of the students sang a traditional Chinese song.

The whole afternoon was enjoyed by the residents and the students, who returned to the college full of enthusiasm. It is hoped that Bellerbys will be asked to perform again next year.

E Riach, Academic Activities Coordinator

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Comenius Project – visit to Bellerbys Brighton

Students and teachers from Romania and Italy visited Brighton in this, the third year of the schools participation in the Comenius Project.

The Romanian visitors were from Baia Mare and Novadari (in the north and east of Romania respectively), while the Italian visitors came from Rodi Garganico (in Southern Italy).

The aim of the project is to create and maintain links between European schools. This enables schools to share and develop learning practices together and have opportunities to experience the cultural aspects of each country.

The activities arranged for the Brighton visit were a day trip to Leeds Castle in Kent, attending classes in Bellerbys College, a visit to Mayor of Brighton at the Town Hall and meetings for the students and teachers to discuss projects and presentations for completion prior to the Italian visit in May 2009.

The visit to Leeds Castle was enjoyed by all; especially one of the Romanian teachers who is a keen historian.

The visit to the Mayor's chamber was organised with the assistance of the European and International Team at the Brighton and Hove City Council.

The current Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Gary Peltzer-Dunn made the visitors extremely welcome. He talked about local government, also asking questions about local government in Italy and Romania. Students and teachers were allowed to hold the Mace for Hove which was found to be very heavy! Everyone was allowed to take photos, even in the council chambers where local government issues are voted and decided on.

The mayor offered to let students and teachers wear the official red Robes of Office and sit in the Mayor's seat for photographs. At the end of the visit food was served and a small memento of the visit to Brighton & Hove.

Before our guests departed, the teachers commented that they had never been to a school or college as wonderful as the new Bellerbys College in Brighton. They had nothing but praise for the building, teachers and quality of the education provided.

Find out more about the Comenius Project

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Anara is the 2009 Richard Ryde Scholarship Candidate for Bellerbys Brighton

Each year, the best AS student from each Bellerbys school is invited to apply for the Richard Ryde Scholarship.  The four students are then interviewed by the Principals of each of the schools along with James Pitman, the UK Managing Director.  They are asked questions about their academic background, academic plans for the future, their extracurricular interests and their views about studying in the UK.  The successful student is awarded free tuition for their second year of study at Bellerbys worth over £17,000.

This year's candidate from Bellerbys Brighton was Anara Salykhova from Almaty, Kazakshtan.

Anara is following a 6 term A Level course and studying five subjects: Accounts, Economics, Maths, Further Maths and Politics.  Prior to studying at Bellerbys she completed High School in Kazakhstan with a gold medal. 

During her course she has maintained A grades in all homeworks and tests despite the fact that she is studying a more demanding programme than most students.  She has also achieved 7.5 in the IELTS examination whilst here.  Teachers note that she has a quick understanding and the utmost diligence in her approach to her studies.  Her work is beautifully presented, thorough and shows excellent analytical skills.

She is currently a member of the college debating society and attends the weekly introduction to Philosophy seminars and Italian classes.  Anara is also an accomplished pianist who has studied the piano for seven years and enjoys playing music by composers such as Bach, Beethoven and Mozart.  In her spare time she plays badminton.

Anara is thoroughly enjoying her studies at Bellerbys as the atmosphere is conducive to learning and she feels she has developed her confidence whilst here.

In September, she will be applying to Cambridge University to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics.  Another highly ambitious, clever and dedicated student from Bellerbys Brighton!

Find out more about studying A Levels at Bellerbys

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Top 2007 A Level Student Tells of Hopes to Set Up University in Kazakhstan

Ilyas Issatayev who left Bellerbys Brighton in 2007 with 6 A grade A Levels and is now in his second year at the LSE returned to the college in March to meet up with his former teachers and friends.  He expressed a noble ambition - to set up a really good university in
Kazakshtan!

It is his dream to see a world class Business School in Almaty where he would teach Economics and his friends, currently at universities such as Cambridge and UCL, would teach other subjects.  He sees it as a charity project which would provide the very best education for anyone who was good enough - tuition would be free!

The university would help to provide a cohort of young men and women who would contribute to the development of his beloved home country.  In the meantime he has to finish his degree and establish himself in his career.

Read more about Ilyas

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Former A Level Student, Now a Doctor, Visits Bellerbys Brighton 10 Years On

Dr Shamini Devi paid a visit to Bellerbys Brighton recently, ten years after successfully completing her A Level course at the college.

Shamini has wonderful memories of her year spent in Brighton, especially of her outstanding teachers, Dr. Ken Butcher (pictured far right), Helen Haines, Dr. John Baker and Eric Schneidhoffer.  Although highly impressed by Bellerbys magnificent new college building she has fond memories of the old buildings in Cromwell Road with their charming gardens where she used to make daisy chains inbetween classes!

Since leaving Bellerbys Shamini has been working at a hospital in Malaysia and has now moved to live in Chatham, Kent.  She is still in touch with friends from her college days and even her host family!  Shamini observed: 'They were lovely people who provided an excellent vegetarian diet!  Bellerbys gave me a chance to succeed and I will always be grateful for that - especially now I am working in such a rewarding profession!'

Find out about the A Level course

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Former Students Agree That Bellerbys is Best!

Two former students, Dieu Hiew Nguyen and Thu Phuong Dang, returned to visit Bellerbys Brighton after two terms at university and both agreed that, 'Bellerbys is the best!'

When asked why by Peter Corcut, the Vice Principal, they replied:

Phuong: 'People here are very friendly - students and teachers - everyone.  When you
go to school it feels like going home!   The teaching is better than at university because it is
detailed and thorough and the student feels closer to the teacher.'

Dieu: 'The college is close to the city centre and the beach so that after working hard all day and enjoying your studies you can go for a walk by the sea with your friends and chat and have fun.  The time at Bellerbys was the happiest time of our lives!'

Dieu is stuydying Economics and Management at Bristol University and Phuong is studying Accounting and Finance at University of Warwick.  Both are from Hanoi in Vietnam and say they like Brighton as much as Hanoi.

As well as maintaining exceptionally high academic standards Brighton is obviously the place to be if you want to enjoy life!

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International Cultural Evening

On March 18, Bellerbys College Brighton held an International Cultural Evening - for the second time at the new Study Centre building in central Brighton. The evening gives students the opportunity to share, experience and enjoy each others' cultural traditions.

The attendance was phenomenal with over 300 students enjoying the twelve stands which represented different countries such as Kazakhstan, Turkey, Colombia, Mongolia, China, Iran, Nigeria and many more.

Stands featured instruments, postcards, books, posters, different types of tea, some food delicacies and students even wore national costumes.

Fi Orando and Tati Pava, the party organisers, were delighted to see such a fantastic turn out and have some fantastic photos taken by the students to show off the atmosphere of this great event.

See more of the pictures at the Bellerbys Brighton Facebook group.

You can read more about this event and what it's like to study at Bellerbys College at our new Studying At Bellerbys College blog, which is written by two of our teachers.

 

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28 Brighton Students Are Awarded Certificates in National Maths Contest

In November 2008, a group of Bellerbys Brighton A Level and Foundation students took part
in the UKMT Maths Challenge, administered by The UK Mathematics Trust. 

These interesting and challenging tests of reasoning and mental agility are designed be taken without any special preparation.  There are 25 multiple-choice questions and of these, the
first 15 are more accessible whilst the final ten will provide more food for thought.  Gold, silver and bronze certificates are awarded to the top contestants.  For an hour and a half all that could be heard was the sound of pencil on paper and of deep concentration! 

The first question on the paper was reassuringly straightforward:

Q. “What is the value of 2x2008+2008x8?”
A. a) 4016 b) 16064 c) 20080 d) 64256 e) 80020

But by question 25 everything was considerably more demanding:

Q. "What is the area of the polygon formed by all points (x,y) in the plane satisfying the inequality ||x| - 2| + ||y| - 2| < 4?"
A. a) 24 b) 32 c) 64 d) 96 e) 112

(For those of us who are mathematically challenged the answers are: 1  c, 2  b!)

When the results were announced three weeks later 28 students were delighted to find that they had been awarded Gold Certificates, 9 had achieved Silver and 14 Bronze – a 62% success rate against the national average of 40%!  The top student was Shoucheng Liu.

The certificates were presented to the following students by Nigel Addison, the College Principal, on Friday 6 March.

Gold Award Winners: Wei Chen, Alena Denisova, Qin Hao Feng, Tuan Anh Ha, Xuan Son La, Thi Thanh Tam Le, Cheng Cheng Li, Shoucheng Liu, Xinyun Liu, Xuewen Liu, Ken Hei Lo, Jiahua Lu, Hong Quang Nguyen, Anton Ozornin, Thi Thu Nga Pham, Thanh Phong Phan, Zhiwei Qui, Bexultan Seisembayev, Jiansheng Shen, Nanxi Tong, Anh Tu Trinh, Huan Wang, Siu Lun Wong, Zheng Wu, Chenhao Ye, Nina Ye, Shuting Zhang & Xin Yi Zheng

Silver Award Winners: Thi Kim Trang Bui, Siu Yan Chiang, Yanhan Huang, Miras Ibraimov, Jun Hao Li, Yuting Liu, Turebek Mutashev, Sanzhar Ospanov & Chui Yan Wang

Bronze Award Winners: Chung Wai Chan, Hao Chen, Ka Ki Cheung, Oyun Erdene Ganbayar, Ling Yan Kong,  Pakin Kuakpetoon, Maxim Pauk, Hieu Khac Phan,  Ekaterina Omanenko,  Anara Salykhova, Ronald Tai, Chao Wang & Jia Wei Wei.

Congratulations to all students!

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The Art Department Visit The British Museum and Tate Britain

Given that it was a wet and windy start to the day, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I decided to cycle to school but what did it matter as on meeting all the students of the Art department we were soon on a coach taking us to the British Museum.  We had come specifically to look at the Statuefillia Exhibition, which comprises of five pieces of contemporary art set amongst the ancient permanent collections.  All the students had their little sketchbooks with them and spent time taking photographs and making sketches of what they saw and liked.  A few students were captivated by the Egyptian art on display.

After about an hour we all got back onto the coach and headed over to the Tate Britain, which is the national gallery of British art.  It is one of the family of four Tate galleries which display selections from the Tate Collection.  The other three galleries are Tate Modern, also in London, Tate Liverpool, in the north-west, and Tate St Ives, in Cornwall, in the south-west.  The entire Tate Collection is available online. 

Tate Britain is the world centre for the understanding and enjoyment of British art and works actively to promote interest in British art internationally.  The displays at Tate Britain call on the greatest collection of British art in the world to present an unrivalled picture of the development of art in Britain from the time of the Tudor monarchs in the sixteenth century, to the present day."

The Tate Britain had a retrospective of the work of the British Painter, Francis Bacon which we had come to see.  The group observed this exhibition and then followed through to the permanent collection.  All in all it was a very inspirational day for everyone and an imperative eye opener to some students that had been learning about Abstract Expressionism.
We returned to Brighton for about 8pm and all scurried home out of the cold, I personally was craving some hot food and a cup of hot chocolate to warm myself up and think about all the impressive artwork that we had seen that day.

By Tess Zahn, Photography tutor

Read more about the activities and events at Bellerbys Brighton

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Bellerbys Christmas Recital

The Bellerbys Brighton Christmas Recital took place on Wednesday 3rd December.  Students from Vietnam, Hong Kong, China and Indonesia all took part, with Dr Cheng and Carol Alderson performing a wonderful recorder duet.  Other performances included piano solos, guitar solos and singing.

The audience, including Mr Corcut, enthusiastically joined in to sing Christmas songs such as “Jingle Bells” and “We wish you a Merry Christmas”.
Thank you to everyone who took part!

 

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Bellerbys Brighton Students Bring Seasonal Joy To the Community

Bellerbys Brighton was approached by Coldean Community Café (via the Brighton & Hove Voluntary Association) to provide some musicians for a Tea Dance to be held for the elderly residents of Coldean in Brighton.  The volunteers included Trytia Atmaja, Hong Quang Nguyen, Sasha Smirnova, Tatiana Iancioglo, Tatyana Babaskina and Chui Fan Lam who are very talented musicians; pianists, violinists, singers and guitar players amongst them.

The elderly residents of the community were very impressed by the amazing abilities of all the Bellerbys students who took part and thoroughly enjoyed all the music.  The musicians were provided with refreshments (prepared by local community volunteers) in the café which had been decorated with balloons.  The Tea Dance lasted for two hours, after which requests were made for a follow up performance!

In recognition of the students’ contribution a donation of £200 was made by The Trust for Developing Communities (TDC) which provides some funding for the Coldean Community Café.  The TDC aims to encourage elderly people who may feel isolated in their homes to take part in events in the local community.  The £200 has been added to Study Group’s Building Futures fund and will help towards the next project of building a new school in China.

 

Read more about activities at Bellerbys Brighton

 

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Bellerbys Brighton Welcomes Chinese Embassy Minister

Staff and students were delighted to welcome Mr Xiaogang Tian, Minister Counsellor for Education of the People's Republic of China's Embassy, to Bellerbys Brighton on Wednesday 26th November.

During his visit, Mr Tian, pictured right with some Chinese students at Bellerbys Brighton, took a tour of the new building, sat in on an Economics lesson conducted using an interactive whiteboard and enjoyed lunch with staff and students.

The aim of Mr Tian’s visit is to promote UK education and cultural exchanges between the teachers and students, strengthen the understanding of the UK culture and make contributions to the continuous development of the friendship between the two peoples.

See more photos on the Bellerbys Brighton Flickr page

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A Level Scholarship Winners Are Welcomed to the College

Tuesday 16th September 2008 was an auspicious day for 15 students who had recently started their A Level course at Bellerbys College Brighton.
 
In the glittering surroundings of the new Exam Hall in the College they were presented with certificates by the College Principal, Mr Nigel Addison, in recognition of being awarded scholarships for their studies.  These scholarships recognise academic achievement and are only granted after an interview with a Bellerbys Regional Officer in their home country before they come to the college.
 
Mr Addison welcomed the students and expressed his pleasure in seeing students coming
from a number of different countries to take advantage of the education that Bellerbys has to offer. 'Remember that winning a scholarship is both a privilege and a responsibility', he said.  'We will expect you take a lead academically and in other ways and to set an example to other students by your dedication and determination to succeed.'
 
Vice Principal, Peter Corcut, the Manager of the A Level Programme in Brighton also spoke
to the students; 'Scholarship students have featured regularly in our top student list, including one this year who is now studying Engineering at Cambridge, and we hope that you too will
do the same.'
 
Congratulations to Thi Kim Trang Bui, Hong Quang Nguyen, Thi Thu Nga Pham, Hieu Khac Phan & Thanh Phong Phan from Vietnam, Anton Ozornin, Ekaterina Romanenko, Kristina Kolotova, Regina Gabotiva & Ekaterina Berezhnova from Russia, Qin Hao Feng, Huan Wang & Jia Wei Wei from China and Siti Amirah Marzuki from Malaysia.

Read more about the A Level course

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43 Universities Attend the Bellerbys Higher Education Fair

Each September, Bellerbys College holds a special Higher Education Fair for its A Level and Foundation students.  The Fair, which is attended by representatives of many UK universities, is a great opportunity for students to make direct contact with the universities that they are thinking of applying to for entry the following year. 

This September, students from all Bellerbys centres gathered for the Fair in the Exam Hall at the new Brighton Study Centre.

Meeting lots of universities en masse and in a short period of time, and comparing their strengths and weaknesses, helps students to make their UCAS (the UK's official university application organisation) choices.

The students are always well-prepared by their Programme Managers so they know which questions to ask.  It enables them to make personal contact with universities to pick up more specific details about the range of courses offered, their specialisms, their location, where they might sit in various league tables, the social and housing facilities available, links to business, professions and enterprise, research facilities, entry standards, support for international students, transport facilities and more!

It also encourages students to start taking responsibility for their own progression in terms of which academic course or profession they are most interested in - and allows them to look at the wide range of alternative choices available to them.  This year 43 universities, listed below, attended the Fair giving students lots of options.

Aberystwyth, Anglia Ruskin, Aston, Bangor, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Buckingham, Cardiff, City, De Montfort, East London, Essex, Goldsmiths, Hertfordshire, Keele, Kent, Kingston, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores, London Metropolitan, London South Bank, Loughborough, Manchester, Middlesex, Newcastle, Northumbria, Nottingham, Oxford Brookes, Portsmouth, Queen Mary, Reading, Roehampton, Royal Holloway, Sheffield, Southampton, Surrey, Sussex, Swansea, York.

Read more about the Bellerbys A Level and Foundation courses

 

 

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Brighton GCSE Students Receive Special Commendation From Exam Boards

Four Bellerbys Brighton GCSE students have been given an unprecedented special commendation from the examination board for being in the top ten in their subjects for the entire examination entry.

Ekaterina Romanenko and Kristina Kolotova, both from Russia, had recognition for their English, Akinyet Baimakhanova from Kazakhstan, had commendations both in Art and Design and Economics for being in the top ten in both subjects and Anna Samygina, pictured right, also from Russia, received the same in Art and Design, being in the top ten out of 909 candidates.  

All these students have moved onto A Level courses in Brighton.  Congratulations to all, especially Ekaterina and Kristina who were awarded scholarships towards their further studies at Bellerbys.

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Happy Returns for Bellerbys Brighton Graduates 

Three former students came back to Brighton to see the new building for themselves, having finished their university exams at Oxford and Cambridge.

Hui Yi Lim, from Brunei, now at Cambridge University studying Economics, described the building as 'wonderful' and she hopes her younger sister will be able to join the college in a few year's time.

Abigail Guillermo, from the Philippines, who is now at Oxford University studying Chemistry, was delighted by the magnificent views from the upper  floors plus the amount of space available and the up-to-date equipment in the laboratories and computing rooms.  The same feelings were expressed by Hong Sheng Lim from Malaysia, now studying Natural Science at Cambridge University.

Like most students who come back to Brighton there is no doubt that these three miss the excitement and vibrancy of the city, the sea and the camaraderie of life at Bellerbys.  Truly, for them this was a happy return.

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Jessica Wins The Bellerbys Brighton Principal's Award 2008

Jessica Kwannandar, 18, from Indonesia was presented with the Principal's Award at Bellerbys Brighton last month by the Principal Mr. Nigel Addison and members of the senior staff.  She has been an outstanding student academically and has won a conditional place at Imperial College, London, to study Chemical Engineering.

During her two year A level course at Bellerbys Jessica has been a very keen member of the music club and has sung beautiful solos at the May Ball, Christmas concerts and on other memorable occasions.  Although she hopes for a career in Engineering, music is her first love.

She has also won numerous prizes during her academic career including Best AS Maths student at Bellerbys.

"This is a great surprise and I feel honoured to receive it - I have really loved my time at Bellerbys and I am sorry it is coming to an end," commented Jessica on receiving the award.

"We think Jessica will go on to have a glittering career in Engineering - we have very much enjoyed teaching her and we wish her all the best in the future', said Mr. Addison.

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From Hanoi to Brighton to Loughborough to Sussex to Brighton!

Le Long from Hanoi, pictured right with Mr Alan Beer, achieved a Distinction on the Business Foundation course at Brighton in 2003.  He went on to Loughborough University to study for a degree in Information Management and Business Studies, where he achieved a 2:1, and then to Sussex University to study for a Masters in International Management. 

Recently he called in to the Bellerbys Brighton Study Centre to meet up with the Foundation Programme Manager, Alan Beer, who he met at the beginning of his studies in the UK.

'Long was an excellent student whilst here,' said Mr. Beer, 'and I am most pleased he has been so successful - we always thought he would be!'

Long was so impressed by his teachers and the course that he brought his friend Dinh Mi to see the college and to discuss coming to the college to study in preparation for a degree course in Accounting and Finance.  Long's view was that, 'The teachers were so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable at Bellerbys!  They were always there for me.'

Long hopes to work in a Vietnamese company when he has finished his Master's degree.

Read more about the Foundation course

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Recent Student Activities at Bellerbys Brighton

Student clubs at Bellerbys Brighton have been as active as ever and making the most of the new facilities at the Brighton Study Centre, including a large lecture hall which can be used for sporting, music and cultural events.

Music Club

The Music Club saw some of first-class performances this academic year, including Kazakh national dancing from Assel Izbassarkyzy; Lin Ka Shing and Yuliya Liem on the piano; Jessica Kwannadar and Bambang Trytia Atmaja who both sang; Arthini Mohd Shan and Mandy Lin Meng Wen on strings and some excellent jazz from Irene Mwesiga on saxophone.

The Music Club also performed extremely well at the opening ceremony of the college earlier in the year.  In particular, Brian Lin Ka Shing and Joy Zhao Yi who were accompanied by two members of staff: Derek McAless on classical guitar and Carol Alderson on recorder.

United Nations Society

The United Nations Society continues to be the driving force in academic activities outside the classroom.  One of group's main activities are debates about current and ethical issues.  Recent topics have included 'Is immigration a good thing?' and 'Is it ok to tell a lie?' 

Once a month the Association links up with the Brighton Salon to run debates within the college which are open to the public.  Recently we enjoyed a debate entitled 'Nuclear fusion - cheap energy for the future'.  This was included as part of the Brighton Science Festival and we were pleased to welcome to the college Prof Gordon MacKerron of the Science Policy Research Unit, Prof Bob Bingham of the High-Power Laser Research Facility and Joe Kaplinsky, author of the book, 'Energise'.

A debate entited, 'Should artists be free?' led by Time Out journalist JJ Charlesworth, was held as part of the Brighton Festival, the world's second largest arts festival in the world.  Finally, we were treated to a debate called 'Material Girl - is it better to be rich or happy?' led by Financial Times journalist, Daniel Ben-Ami.

Bellerbys Football Cup

This year's annual football competition, the Bellerbys Cup, featured 11 teams from across all programmes from Bellerbys College and Embassy CES.  The tournament was expertly refereed by John Gardiner before a crowd of around 150 spectators. 

The final was keenly contested between 'The Pensioners' and 'Ahmed AFC', who won the tight game 4-3.  The eventual winners played the staff who were very sporting, allowing the students another victory!  The winning team was captained by Ahmed Sukeiman and included Anzor Sakhtarov, George Gogua, Iraqli Morgoshia and Courage Ekueku.

Read more about activities at Bellerbys Brighton

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Bellerbys Brighton GCSE Award Winners 2008

A special ceremony was held recently to present awards to students graduating from GCSE courses.  Top students include:

Ekaterina Romanenko from Russia - Best GCSE Student 2008
Tsz Yin Wong from Macau - GCSE English Student of 2008
Kristina Kolotova from Russia - GCSE Business Studies Student of 2008
Anna Samygina from Russia - GCSE Art Student of 2008
Adam Khamidov from Russia - Progress Award for GCSE Student of 2008
Anastasia Monogarova from Russia - Best Pre-GCSE Student 2008
Akinyet Baimakhanova from Kazakhstan - Endeavor Award
Hei Hung Chan from Hong Kong - Endeavor Award
Xinxi Du from China - Endeavor Award
Inzhu Ykymzhanova from Kazakhstan - Endeavor Award

After a well deserved summer break we'll welcome many of these students back to Bellerbys in September to start Foundation or A Level courses.  See you then!

See more photos from the ceremony on the Bellerbys College Flickr pages

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Brighton Foundation Award Winners 2008

Aya Sadayuki from Japan - Best Business Foundation Student
Sau Ching (Steve) Lee from Hong Kong - Best Engineering Foundation Student
Yuen Tung (Mandy) Fong from Hong Kong - Best English Foundation Student
Mario Ernesto Escorcio Gomes from Angola - Best IT Foundation Student
Hoi Lam (Karen) Cheng from Britain - Best Humanities Foundation Student
Yin Chun (Terry) Wong from Hong Kong - Best Law Foundation Student
Katerina Siakka from Cyprus - Best Science Foundation Student
Yong Tong (Kristol) Guo from China - Most Improved Foundation Student
Habeeb Alao from Nigeria - Best Overall Contribution to the Foundation Programme
Ka Shing (Brian) Lin from Hong Kong - Best Foundation Student
John (Toks) Fatona from Nigeria - Most Active Participation and Contribution to Class Discussion, Humanities

19 students also were presented with awards for 'Contribution to the Foundation Programme'.

See more photographs of graduating Foundation students on our Flickr page

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Bellerbys Brighton A Level Graduation Ceremony 2008

The annual A Level Graduation Ceremony was held in the Hall at Bellerbys Brighton at the
end of May.  Principal, Nigel Addison, presented awards for the best students to:

Saman Alavifard from Iran - Best A2 Level Student competing in June
Zhibo Wang from China - Best AS Level Student
Jia Rong Chang from Malaysia - Best A2 Level Student, Science
Xiyin Li from China - Best AS Level Student, Science
Kirill Veretinsky from Russia - Best A2 Level Student, Business
Nanxi Tong from China - Best AS Level Student, Business
Zhi Yuan Ivan Ann from Singapore - Best A2 Level Student, Humanities
Yuliya Suleyeva from Belarus - Best AS Level Student, Humanities
Alexandros Morochovski from Ukraine - Best A2 Level Student, Mathematics
Yu Chen from China - Best AS Level Student, Mathematics
Li Zhou from China - Best A2 Level Student, Art & Design
Thanh Hang Diep from Vietnam - Best AS Level Student, Art & Design
Alexandra Smirnova from Russia - Best A Level Student, English
Fatema Salimi from Iran - Library Award
Jessica Julia Kwannandar from Indonesia - The Principal's Award
Ksenia Rotislavleva from Russia - Richard Ryde Memorial Award

See more photographs from the ceremony on the Bellerbys Flickr page

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Hollywood Theme for Brighton May Ball

Friday 30th May saw the red carpet rolled out, gold banners hung from the stairways and arrangements of beautiful red roses throughout the foyer.  For one night only, the college was transformed into a glamorous Hollywood party for the May Ball.

Each year, graduating and continuing students, along with teachers and other members of staff, come together in their best outfits to celebrate nearing the end of the academic year.  The May Ball is a night to forget about exams, get dressed up and have fun.

On arrival, a red carpet led guests into the building where they were handed ice creams.  After a welcome drink, guests enjoyed American diner style food cooked on a large barbeque and served in the garden. 

Many students took lots of photographs of their friends and their favourite members of staff
to remind them of their days at Bellerbys Brighton.

There were lots of entertainment options.  A live band played in the Student Common Room,
a disco and student cabaret took place in the Hall and films were shown in the Library.

Good fun was had by all at the first ever May Ball in the new college building.

 

 

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38 Brighton Students Receive Conditional Offers from Top 7 UK Universities

Once again, many Bellerbys Brighton A Level students have been offered conditional places at some of the UK's top universities.  Seven students have conditional offers for Warwick University (ranked 7th in the UK by The Times), 11 for University College London (ranked 6th), seven for London School of Economics (ranked 4th), 11 for Imperial College (ranked 3rd) and two for Cambridge University (ranked 2nd).

Saman Alavifard, 19, from Tehran, is one of our first Iranian students to win an offer from Cambridge University.

Saman joined us here at Bellerbys Brighton in June 2005 on an English Language Preparation course.  He then progressed onto the three-term GCSE course which he completed in June 2006 with excellent grades - A* in Maths, Physics and Information Technology, A grades in Chemistry and Economics and a B grade in English. 

He was awarded a partial scholarship to continue on the six-term A Level course which he began in September 2007.  Saman achieved A grades in AS Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry and is also now studying AS English Literature.  He will take his final A Level exams in the coming weeks.

We are delighted that Saman has ended his journey with Bellerbys with a conditional offer from Churchill College, University of Cambridge to study Engineering in September.

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Brighton Student Receives Bursary from Cambridge University

Bo Wen Wang, 19, from Dalian, China, has received a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Bursary from Cambridge University to help him with his degree level studies in Engineering.

Bo Wen who will complete his A level course at Bellerbys Brighton in June has a conditional offer from Homerton College, Cambridge University, and needs to achieve A grades in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry to confirm his place.

Bo Wen has particular admiration for the intelligence, patience and kindness of Dr. Butcher, his Further Maths teacher and he has found the teaching at Bellerbys overall to be 'great'.

During his two year A Level course he has stayed with a charming host family in Hove whom he now regards as friends, whose cooking is excellent - mainly English menus - so high praise from a Chinese student!

Working as a volunteer at the British Heart Foundation charity shop in Hove in his spare time was a memorable experience for him as he learnt a great deal about the generosity of the natives of Brighton and Hove!  He also is an expert calligrapher and enjoys playing pop music on the guitar.

The Vice Principal, Peter Corcut commented, 'Bo Wen has been an excellent student who combines the qualities of dedication, intellectual gifts and modesty! We hope he achieves the grades he needs and goes on to have a sparkling academic career at Cambridge!'

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Top A Level Student is Awarded the Richard Ryde Memorial Prize

Staff at Bellerbys Brighton were delighted when Ksenia Rostislaleva was awarded the Richard Ryde Memorial Prize for 2008-2009.  This means that she will have a full tuition scholarship
for the second year of her A Level course.  The prize is given to the best student, academically and in co-curricular activities, of the four Bellerbys Colleges after interviews
with all candidates.

Ksenia's reaction was: 'I was really surprised and of course both proud and happy - my parents told me that I must be even cleverer than they had thought!'

Ksenia has already had an outstanding career at Bellerbys Brighton as she was the best student at GCSE level gaining 7A*s and 1 A grade after a one year course.

She is predicted to achieve A grades in AS Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and French when she takes the exams in June 2008.

Her ambition is to become a Bio-Chemist as she finds science fascinating and wants to make her own contribution to the development of science which she sees as a tremendous force for good in the world.

Ksenia is a keen and highly articulate member of the Oxbridge group of students at Brighton, having given highly successful talks on 'Genetic Modification' and on Steve Jones' book 'The Language of Genes.'

In addition to being a top academic student who aspires to go to Cambridge, Ksenia is a member of the small group of students on the Comenius project which involves her representing the College on a visit to Bari, Italy.  She mixed with students from other schools in Europe and worked on charity projects.

She is also a writer for the Bellerbys student blog, a member of the Debating Society and is working as a volunteer for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

'We are lucky to have such a talented, enthusiastic and dedicated student studying here,' commented the Principal of Bellerbys Brighton, Mr. Nigel Addison.

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Brighton Students Finish 11th in a Nationwide Investment Competition

A team from Bellerbys Brighton last month finished 11th out of 8,000 entrants in a UK wide investment game for students, the Student Portfolio Challenge 2007/8.  This is a remarkable achievement.

The group named Glitter, assisted by their teacher, Duncan Stringer, managed to turn a virtual portfolio of £96,000 into £215,700 in just three months.  This is especially impressive given the recent falling stock markets across the world. 

All students are studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton and are captained by Wang Li (Lily), who is obviously highly talented in this field and wishes to pursue a career in Financial Engineering.  Her team mates are Ying Peng (Leo), Yu Qi Zhu (Peter) and Liu Lindi (Lindy).

Glitter will now progress to the Regional Finals in London on 19th March.  The top prize for the winning team is a trip to Wall Street, New York, plus prize money for both the group and their school.  We wish them the very best of luck!

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Official Brighton Study Centre Launch Ceremony

The official launch ceremony of the new Bellerbys Brighton Study Centre took place on Tuesday 12th February 2008.  Invited guests included Lord Tomlinson, Chairman of the Association of Independent Higher Education Providers, of which Bellerbys was the founding member, and the Mayor of Brighton & Hove.

The event began with tours of the building for our guests followed by speeches in the Examinations Hall by Lord Tomlinson and Heith Mackay-Cruise, CEO of Study Group. 
A plaque to celebrate the event was then unveiled by four students, including Iliyas Issatayev from Kazakhstan, our top performing A Level student in 2007.  Iliyas achieved an outstanding six A Levels at grade A and is now studying at London School of Economics. 

Following the unveiling, drinks and canapés were then served in the atrium whilst students and staff entertained the guests.

Brian Lin Ka Shing and Joy Yi Zhao (pictured right wth Michael Cornes, Operations Director of Study Group UK) both performed Beethoven sonatas.  Brian performed the 'Pathetique' with all the revolutionary verve and passion that Beethoven intended when he wrote the piece and Joy played the 'Moonlight Sonata' with the gentle wistfulness expected of a romantic a few days before Valentine's.
 
The other performers at the Opening Ceremony included teachers Derek McAleese who performed a stunning range of classical Spanish guitar pieces, Carol Alderson who accompanied Brian on 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'; Assa from Kazakhstan who performed a Kazakh national dance - Assa has performed with the Kazakh National Dance Troupe; the College Rock Band (who don't have a name yet) and Anna who closed the show with a wonderful medley of hits from Pink.

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Maths Magic!

Bellerbys' Brighton students won no less than 25 Gold, 15 Silver and 12 Bronze certificates in the UK Maths Trust Senior Maths challenge in November 2007, whose results have recently been announced.

Jun Chen, 17, from Foshan City, China, was the top student who answered all 25 mind numbing questions within the time set.  'I'm so happy with  my result,' commented Jun, who is aiming to study Biomedical Science at Imperial College, London, when she has completed her A level course in Brighton.

Dick Dixon, Head of Maths, noted, 'Once again our students have done us proud - we have some excellent mathematicians here and they seem to get better every year!'

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Music Club Visit Romania Thanks to the EU Comenius Project

The Bellerbys Brighton Music Club this year visited Baia Mare in Transylvania, Romania.  The trip was funded by the EU's Comenius project and the Music Club performed in the Muramares National Theatre before an audience of five hundred, including the local MP and Mayor.  The students who performed were Van Anh Pham, Katie Anh, Agnes Wan, Zoey Zhang, Cindy Lu, Fatima Jafarova and Andy Li.  Economics Teacher, Andrew Stephenson, accompanied the group.  Below, Agnes Wan tells us about their exciting trip.

"To welcome Romania to the European Union, a group of us participated in this event specially organized in Baia Mare, Romania.  During this six-day trip we spent three days travelling!  The remaining three days recorded our moments of cultural exchange and joyous experience. 

We spent the second day settling in our host families and then on day three we went to see the mountains and a traditional Romanian village.  We had the chance to watch a wonderful performance by little Romanian children in their traditional costumes.  Then we tried an outdoor special lunch in the village and tasted Romanian food like corn and cheese porridge, Romanian doughnuts,and so on.

Day four marked the climax of our trip. We met with teachers and students from Romania and Italy to discuss the future development of the Comenius project. Then we had a quiz on the European Union and luckily our school team came in third!  Hurray!  The evening programme was superb with performances from all the participating colleges. Everyone was so excited about his or her performance.  Our performance included a piano recital, a duet, solo and group singing as well as a belly dance.  All our performances were highly appreciated by the audience. We had a small party to celebrate the success of this evening event.

Day five was a day of sightseeing and shopping.  We went to the Mineralogy Museum where we were all amazed by the huge range of minerals that Baia Mare has.  We did some shopping and bought some Romanian souvenirs to bring back to Brighton.  Then we had to say goodbye to the hospitable Romanians and the warmhearted Italians.  We parted with dismay but with a wish that we might meet again some time in the future.  This was definitely a worthwhile trip giving us unforgettable experiences and exposure, which we would be unable to obtain from books.  On behalf of all the participants, let me convey our sincere thanks to our teacher, Mr.Stephenson, who used his valuable time to take us on this much-valued eye-opening trip."

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Bellerbys Brighton Students go on to Great Things!

From time to time universities get in touch to tell us about the continuing success of our graduates, below are just a few.

Student Name	Home Country	Course & Year at Bellerbys	Doctorate/Bachelor/Master Degree Awarded	University
Patricia Bestelmeyer	Germany	A Level, 1997	PhD Psychology	Aberdeen
Fan Yang	China	Foundation, 2003	MEng Mechanical Engineering	Leicester
Kwame Essel-Koomson	Ghana	A Level, 2003	MA Accountancy and Finance	Aberdeen
Than Lam Nguyen	Vietnam	A Level, 2003	BA Architecture	Newcastle
Muhammad Hisham Hamzah	Malaysia	A Level, 2004	BSc Accounting and Finance*	Warwick
Xin Jin**	China	A Level, 2004	BSc Computer Science*	Warwick
Duc Dung Nguyen	Vietnam	A Level, 2004	BSc Computer Science*	Warwick
Khac Hieu Phan	Vietnam	A Level, 2004	BSc Management Science*	Warwick
Camelia Tan	Indonesia	A Level, 2004	BSc Operations Management	Lancaster
Keng Kit Vincent Wong	Malaysia	A Level, 2004	BSc Hons Medical Science	St Andrews
Zhaolin Yang	China	Foundation, 2004	BSc Mechanical Engineering*	Leicester

* First Class Honours
** Now studying for a Masters at Cambridge University

Are you a Bellerbys College graduate?  Let us know how you are getting on: editor@bellerbys.com

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Top Bellerbys Student Acts as an Ambassador for the College

Agnes Wan is having a great year!  Agnes was one of our top 10 A Levels students in 2007, achieving outstanding grades (AAAAa) and securing a place at Cambridge University to read Law.  She was also awarded the Principal's Prize and gave an excellent speech to her peers at the college graduation ceremony entitled 'All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them'.

Surely there could be no better person to act as an ambassador for Bellerbys College in her home country!  Just two days after receiving her excellent A Level results Agnes kindly took a day out of her holiday to do just that on the Bellerbys College stand at the UK Education Expo (pictured below, far left).  Here she met with prospective students and their parents and told them about her time at Bellerbys College.

Agnes was happy to help parents and students make their decision about where to study. "Last weekend at the UK Education Expo, the Bellerbys College booth attracted a lot of people, both prospective students and parents.  I felt so excited explaining to them about the new campus and how they or their children can fit into the learning system provided by the school.  They seemed very impressed by the students' results and the modern Brighton centre."

We wish the best of luck to Agnes as she spends her gap year working for a Law firm in Hong Kong.  In September 2008 she will then take up her place to study Law at St John's College, University of Cambridge.  We are sure that we will hear of her success again in future.

Read what Agnes had to say about her time at Bellerbys

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Two Bellerbys Students Achieve Firsts at University of Cambridge

We are delighted to announce that two former Bellerbys Brighton students have achieved
First Class awards on their courses at the University of Cambridge.

Julia Artamonova from Russia, who studied A Levels at Brighton from 2002-2004, has this month been awarded a First Class degree in Economics by Trinity College, University of Cambridge.

Dmitriy Myelnikov from Ukraine, who left Bellerbys last year with five A Levels at grade A,
has achieved First Class in his first year examinations on his Natural Sciences (Biological) degree.  Dmitriy, who is studying at Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge, has also been awarded the College Prize and a Senior Scholarship for his second year of study.

Many congratulations to both students!

Read more about Dmitriy's time at University of Cambridge

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New Study Centre Building is Almost Complete!

The new Brighton Study Centre was unveiled last month when the scaffolding and covers
were removed from the outside of the building. 

We are happy to report that the building project is running to schedule and the brand-new college and residence will be ready to welcome students during the autumn break in October 2007.

We're also proud to report that the Study Centre will be an environmentally-friendly building, emitting 40% less carbon dioxide than other buildings of a similar size.  There will be low energy lighting, high insulation including planted roof areas and a computerised system
which will continually monitor the efficiency of the building and its energy consumption.  When the computer detects that a room is empty (through movement and CO2 sensors) the heating or cooling and lighting to that area is reduced or turned off.  There will even be bird boxes on the roof to encourage vists from swallows and swifts!

Contact us to find out more about studying at the Study Centre

Find out about courses starting in September

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Bellerbys Brighton Awards Ceremony & May Ball 2007

The Bellerbys Brighton Awards Ceremony took place on Friday 1st June.  Staff and students alike enjoyed this great formal occasion which recognised the hard work and success of all
the students who were presented with their certificates by the Principal, Nigel Addison.

Prizes for the best students were awarded to:

Agnes Wan from China - Principal's Prize
Huyen Tram Ngo from Vietnam - Best A Level Student
Elizaveta Ermolemko from Russia - Best Foundation Student
Ksenia Rostislaveva from Russia - Best GCSE Student
Dzmitry Hryshkevich from Belarus - Best Degree Level Student
Yang Qinjie from China - Best English Language Preparation Student

Agnes Wan, who won the Principal's Prize and has a conditional offer to study Law at Cambridge University, gave a speech to thank the teachers and all the staff at the college for their excellent teaching, care and guidance during her course, on behalf of all the students.

After the Awards Ceremony, students celebrated their graduation at the May Ball which this year had the theme of 'Arabian Nights'.  The Hall was decorated with exotic silks and shapes and Music Society students provided the entertainment.  Later in the evening, three brave students - Fatima Jafarova, Yasodhaa Ganesan and Ambika Bhartia, provided an exciting Indian and Arabic dance routine which was much appreciated by the audience.